Pancreatic Enzyme Supplementation in Patients with Atopic Dermatitis and Food Allergies: An Open-Label Pilot Study

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that affects both patients and their families. Current therapies often alleviate symptoms but do not prevent or eradicate the disease.

Our objective was to determine whether pancreatic enzyme supplementation is an effective and safe treatment in refractory pediatric AD associated with food allergies.

We conducted an open-label pilot study using a case-control design. Patients with severe AD and known food allergies refractory to conventional therapies and exclusion diets were recruited and treated for 6 weeks with oral supplementation of pancreatic enzymes. The primary endpoint was the severity of AD, using the Scoring Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) index. Secondary measures included markers of intestinal permeability (urinary sucrose and lactulose/mannitol excretion).

A total of 11 patients met all eligibility criteria and completed the trial. Significant improvement in AD was observed after 6 weeks of pancreatic enzyme supplementation (SCORAD index 52.3 ± 5.5 vs. 34.6 ± 7.6; p = 0.0008). Beneficial effect was observed in 9 of 11 patients, without adverse events. Fractional urinary sucrose excretion improved to a level comparable to that of age-matched controls (p < 0.05). However, urinary lactulose:mannitol ratios remained abnormally high compared with those of controls (p = 0.01).

Pancreatic enzyme supplementation was associated with improved AD and gastroduodenal permeability. Additional randomized placebo-controlled studies are required before this treatment can be recommended in this clinical setting.